Phoenix Suns Blog [Category - Alando Tucker] Blog Description [Category - Alando Tucker] en-us Fri, 12 Sep 08 22:17:46 UT Fri, 12 Sep 08 22:17:46 UT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Marqui Tucker Back From Summer League, Ready to Rollhttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_08180801.aspx

Fresh off his solid play in Las Vegas, Tucker is now practicing back at the US Airways Center.
(NBAE/Getty Imags)
The summer league in Las Vegas was a good experience, but as a team I think we could’ve played better. We knew heading in that we were going to have our work cut out for us in terms of finding chemistry. DJ Strawberry and I were the only ones on the team who had played together and when you try to form a ballclub with a bunch of guys that haven’t played with one another, it’s tough.

As far as my individual performance goes, I felt good and I’m getting more and more confident when I step out onto the court. My 3-point shooting has really improved as has my ability to shoot off the dribble. Working with assistant coach Dan Majerle, I’ve gotten a lot more shooting reps then usual and there have been times when I’ve shot the ball so much I could no longer lift up my shooting arm. That hard work though is really resulting in more confidence when it comes to me shooting the ball. My only regret is that I wish as a team we would’ve won a few more ballgames. Anytime I compete I’m looking to win and unfortunately we dropped some games towards the end.

Summer league also offered me my first opportunity to play with Phoenix’s new rookie, Robin Lopez. Robin has tremendous upside and is going to be a lot of help to us, especially down low. He’s got a lot of length and knows how to use that to his advantage. A lot of guys don’t realize his length and he’s going to be a solid shotblocker. Working with guys like Amaré Stoudemire is only going to help him in terms of his offensive game. The most important thing about Robin though is that he’s a good listener. You could see he took in and applied the things the coaches were looking for and that’s what’s really going to be important for him during his rookie season.

“Thunder Dan” helped coach our team in Vegas and was great. He’s easy to interact with, fun to talk to and the guys really appreciate that. Most importantly, he understands the game and offers a lot of basketball knowledge to his players. He’s just like me in the sense he eats, sleeps and breathes the game of basketball and it was great playing for somebody like that. He offers a lot of help but at the same time he’s intense when we hit the court. He’s out there looking to compete, looking to win. We share a lot of similarities and I’m looking forward to working with him more this upcoming season.

Speaking of which, the season is just around the corner. Guys like Amaré, DJ and Boris Diaw are already working out with me at the arena. Also, I spoke to Grant Hill this week, who said he’ll be joining us shortly. It feels good to see the guys out there preparing and to know that they’re dedicated. It’s exciting to see how focused the veterans on this team are and how important it is to them to make this season a successful one.

The key for the rest of the summer is keeping in shape and continuing to work on the things the coaches tell me they’re looking to see. I think I’ve done a good job in gaining the confidence of our coaches and am looking to enter training camp in as good of shape as possible. For some players in the league, training camp is about getting in shape and getting ready for the season. I want to head to Tucson for training camp already in good shape and this way will be able to focus more on improving my game. As a player you’re always looking for ways to improve. For me right now it’s about expanding my range and working on my ballhandling skills.

Away from the court, I’ve really just been checking out as many movies as possible. Arizona summers have taught me the importance of staying indoors as much as possible and a great way to do that is checking out new films. So far, The Dark Knight has been my must-see movie of the summer and I’ve already seen it twice. The Incredible Hulk movie was another one I really enjoyed and was definitely a lot better than the one that came out a few years ago. I’m a big comic book fan and everybody tells me all the time that I’m really just a big kid. In fact, I think I’m going to wrap up this blog entry, go home and fix myself a bowl of cereal and watch some cartoons. I’ll check back in soon and always appreciate reading your responses. Enjoy the rest of your summer Suns fans, and I’ll see you for training camp.
]]>Mon, 18 Aug 08 21:00:00 UTSummer in Phoenix Great for Tucker So Farhttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_07030801.aspx


After displaying his abilities for the Suns during the summer league in 2007, Alando Tucker is ready to return to Las Vegas in 2008.

DJ and I were at the US Airways Center again today, working on a few things with new assistant coach “Thunder” Dan Majerle. Dan will be our summer league coach in Vegas later this month and has been great to work with. He busts our chops a little bit, but he’s making sure we’re ready and we’ve all just been having a lot of fun on the court together.

I’ve talked to pretty much all the guys on the team, most of who are away doing things with their wives and kids. DJ and I are the youngest so we’ve just stayed here in Phoenix for the most part working on our games. Everybody’s excited though and looking forward to working with new head coach Terry Porter and his staff. I wish the best for Mike D'Antoni in New York, but believe change provides opportunity and that’s what I’m preparing myself for right now. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the fact that this coaching staff has set the bar very high for us and expect nothing but the best results.

I was playing basketball for Wisconsin when Terry Porter was coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, and with him already having ties as a native of Wisconsin, quickly became familiar with his track record. He’s a hard-nosed, hard-working player and I like to think the same about myself. I’ve always admired Coach Porter, coming from a small college like Stevens Point and working his way to becoming a great NBA player really says a lot about his work ethic. Now he’s expecting the same work ethic out of us and that attitude is why he’s going to get the best out of the guys on this team. I’ve talked with Porter since his hiring and can already see he’s the kind of coach you want to play for in this league.

While there’s been a lot of work on the court for me this summer, I have had a couple of opportunities to get away. I visited some family and had the opportunity to travel to Miami for a photo shoot me and some other NBA players did for Converse. It was me, Dwyane Wade, Kyle Korver, Kirk Hinrich and Udonis Haslem, and we had a lot of fun down there and it went really well.

As far as Arizona itself, I’ve gotten to check out a couple of places I didn’t have time to see during the regular season. I had some family in town - some of them visiting Arizona for the first time - and we all went to Sedona and had a great time. More recently, I checked out the Phoenix Zoo, but learned there comes a time in Arizona when it’s a little hot to do anything that requires being outdoors. The animals there definitely knew that - most stayed concealed throughout the day - and I quickly caught on as to why.

Finally, I checked out the NBA Draft the other night and it brought back a lot of memories. The Suns grabbed a couple of great guys in Robin Lopez and Goran Dragic. Robin’s energetic and I can see he’s ready to work. Not sure whether or not Dragic will be here next season, but DJ and I are going to try and reach out to any rookies we have on this team and help make their transitions into the NBA easier.

DJ and I know we are the only rookies this franchise has had in a while and are kind of taking it upon ourselves to help them out. We want to let them know this is a whole different game from a mental standpoint and you’ve got to prepare yourself for that. You may not get a lot of time right away like you’ve always been used to, but you can’t get down. You’ve got to keep working and not allow yourself to get discouraged. I think that’s important for any rookie to understand, especially one coming to a team filled with superstar veterans like the Suns. But no matter what, these guys just need to make sure they stay prepared because you never know when you’re going to be called on to contribute.

Well, it’s been a great summer so far and now it’s all about preparing myself for summer league. I’m going to keep working on the things the coaches ask me to and continue preparing myself for what should be a memorable 2008-09 NBA season. Thanks again for reading and I’ll check back in soon.]]>Thu, 03 Jul 08 23:15:00 UTSeason Wrap-Uphttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_05010801.aspx
The game has begun to slow down for me.
Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

The 2007-08 campaign ended a lot sooner than we expected and following our loss in San Antonio on Tuesday were back in Phoenix on Wednesday to clean out our lockers. Talking to some of the guys following the elimination game, it seems we just have to do a better job of paying attention to every detail. Personnel wise and player wise we don’t feel San Antonio was necessarily better, but they’re so great at paying attention to every little thing and closing out games which makes them a championship team. They’ve done it four times in the past nine years by doing that and that’s what we have to learn. Every player has to be ready from start to finish and we can’t take any plays off, we have to stay consistent the entire game. I think we have points where we have a lot of energy, we make great runs, but we don’t sustain those runs. You watch San Antonio, they play consistent the whole game and that’s somewhere I think we can improve.

After the game we talked about dedicating ourselves over the summer to not taking that series for granted and by learning from it and finding what we have to do to get over the hump. We talked about the feeling that we had after the loss, and that the mistakes that we made were ones we could have prevented and won some ballgames. We really feel like we could have had Game 1 and Game 2 was another one we feel we let slip away.

I made some great relationships on the team this season. I already know no matter what happens there are guys on this team I’ll know a lifetime. The relationships that I’ve made with these guys are ones I’ve felt comfortable with this entire year. In the NBA, we know how situations can change and how addresses can change but we’re going to make sure to keep in touch. We all pull for each other and want to do what it takes to help each other; which is why I’m going to work hard on my game this summer. I just want to be able to help this team next year no matter what it is I have to do.

A lot of the veterans weren’t shy when it came to talking to me and helping me learn. Guys like Grant Hill and Steve Nash really worked with me from a mental standpoint, mainly on my composure and learning the game as much as possible. They encouraged me to watch a lot of film and learn the game mentally because I wouldn’t be playing too much physically. By doing that, I learned a lot which has helped slow the game down. As the season went on, I learned more and noticed the more I studied, the more the game slowed down for me.

I didn’t get a lot of playing time, but playing for a championship team has been beneficial in so many ways. You play on a team of guys who play to be champions and you learn to prepare yourself physically and mentally - to play like a champion. I couldn’t take a second off, I always had to prepare myself as a champion.

As far as favorite memories, everything has just happened so fast (it feels like I was just in training camp), I really haven’t had time to reflect like that yet. One thing I will remember is that this was an unbelievable season and I’ll never forget picking up a guy like Shaq midway through.

As far as whether or not I’ll continue to watch the playoffs, I’m a basketball head so I will definitely be watching. I’ve got a couple friends here and there on different teams so I'll be watching and rooting for them. Plus it allows me to continue learning and bettering my game, which I’m all for.

Now it’s time for the offseason where I’ll still have my hands filled. I’m going to spend a lot of time working on my game. I also have a couple camps planned for kids back home and don’t think I’m going to take any days off. I’m going right back to the gym tonight and know I need to have that attitude if I hope to be incorporated into this team’s offense or defense. I’ve got a year down now and think I’ll be ready next season.

Thanks again for reading and I already told the guys at Suns.com to expect to hear from me during the summer. See you then.

]]>Thu, 01 May 08 21:30:00 UTGetting Ready for the Playoffshttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_04170803.aspx
Alando Tucker played 25 minutes and scored 10 points in the Suns win over the Blazers on Wednesday.
(NBAE Photos)

To be honest, I was getting a little winded towards the end after playing the whole second half, but it just felt so good to be out there, I didn’t even think about taking a breather. That’s what you work all season for, opportunities like that. All in all, I felt like I could’ve played a lot better, but I know I played hard and I know there are some adjustments I’ll be looking to make. It was also nice getting the chance to show some of the adjustments I have made throughout the course of this rookie season. I played some good perimeter defense against both their point guards and power forwards and was glad I got to show some versatility on that end of the floor. Offensively, I think I did exactly what the coaches are looking for, using a couple of dribbles to get into the lane and if need be, kick it out to a teammate for an open shot.

We’ve had some fun today ribbing Brian Skinner about his ejection. He’s been told if he gets kicked out of another game, he’ll have to shave the beard to shed his image. Some of the guys even offered to sign him up for anger management classes. All kidding aside, it was unfortunate seeing Brian ejected last night, but he’s having fun with it.

Although we were minus Brian, it was great being out there with DJ Strawberry, Sean Marks and all the guys I’ve been practicing with this season. Still, you’re definitely not going to hear me complaining if I’m on the court with anyone on this team. The key is to just be out there playing hard, and I love any opportunity I receive.
 
But like I said, that was the regular-season finale, and now it’s time to look ahead to the playoffs. This is obviously my first year in the playoffs, and I’m as excited as you could imagine. All year, I just kept hearing the questions about whether or not we could beat San Antonio and now our destiny is in our hands. We’ve got to go out there and show we can get over this hump, and mentally, everybody on this team is ready. It’s going to be a tough series but I’m feeling good about our chances, and the confidence level on the team is great.

I was watching last season when the Suns and Spurs met in the Western Conference Semifinals. It was such a close series, and this team was really just a call or two away from seeing some very different results. This was a rivalry before that series, and last year just seemed to take it up another level.

Also raising things up a notch was obviously the addition of Shaquille O’Neal and the battle that’ll be taking place between he and Tim Duncan. Those guys have been going at it a long time, and it’s always entertaining when they square off. I used to watch Shaq a lot as a fan, but only now do I have a real appreciation for how much he puts into getting ready for each game.

Another element of Shaquille you don’t really see from the outside is his ability to lead not only on the court, but in the locker room. When everybody was speculating about who we’d be playing, Shaq stepped up and said, “No matter who we play, if we want to win a Championship we’re going to have to step onto their court and win.” That’s obviously become the case now with us opening up these playoffs in San Antonio. As far as playing the Spurs, Shaq pointed out that we knew we were going to be playing the best teams come the postseason, so why not get started with the defending champions in the first round?

I definitely watched a lot of “Laker” Shaq as a youngster, but growing up in Chicago, I’ve got a lot of playoff memories involving the Eastern Conference. Obviously, I remember Michael Jordan leading some of the greatest teams of all time, but there were also some great teams playing in Detroit and New York at that time, also. What I remember most about watching basketball as a kid though is the intensity. Even as a youngster sitting in front of the tube, I could feel the intensity and just how much everything picked up in the playoffs. Now I’m getting the opportunity to experience it first hand.

Practice just wrapped up a little while ago, and you can already see by the amount of media who showed up that the playoffs are here. Everybody just poured in after practice was over, and it’s only expected to get crazier. As far as whether or not things like that are a distraction, that’s far from being an issue with this team. We’ve got way too many veterans to let anything distract us and guys like Steve Nash, Amaré Stoudemire and Grant Hill have been through just about it all during their careers, not to mention the Diesel, who’s a four-time NBA Champion.

For me, the playoffs are hopefully going to give me a nice chance to settle in. I’ve obviously acquired a ton of frequent flier miles between Albuquerque and Phoenix. It’s been a journey and it’s good to be back with this team whether we’re in Phoenix or on the road.

We’ve got one more practice tomorrow before taking off to San Antonio for our Saturday afternoon contest. We know you guys will be ready for our return, and I’ll try to check back in as soon as possible. Thanks again for all the feedback. You guys have definitely been a big part of this being such a memorable rookie season.]]>Fri, 18 Apr 08 00:15:00 UTThoughts on Shaquille O'Neal, D-League and Morehttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_03130801.aspx
Alando Tucker travels to play for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds again this week to continue progressing in his game.
(NBAE Photos)

I’m going to start by discussing the topic everybody has obviously been asking about – the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal. I was driving in my car listening to the radio when I first found out about the trade. Fans were discussing their opinions on what it would be like to have O’Neal in Phoenix, and I thought they were just responding to a rumor. A couple of teammates ended up telling me that it was actually the real deal. To be honest, my emotions were kind of mixed. Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks were both good teammates and good guys, but at the same time I was really looking forward to playing with a teammate I grew up watching in O’Neal. I also thought about how excited the city was going to be and that really helped in me getting excited also. While my emotions were mixed, everybody told me I had the right attitude as it was going to be important for us to look forward as we continue to work towards our ultimate goal of winning a championship.

I have been watching Shaq and have been a big fan since his days in Orlando – back when he was what I call “Thin Shaq.” He was agile, breaking rims and has really showed a lot of the same here. You obviously saw that if you watched the San Antonio game on Sunday.

Being a communications major also played a big part in why O’Neal was one of my favorite players growing up. He always seemed so prepared for his interviews, which is something a lot of people take for granted. He’s always ready, he’s always got a joke and I’ve learned that he really prepares for interviews. And I think that’s big.

He’s a character and definitely a hard worker. He’s also a great listener. He takes advice from players – including me – which is shocking, but that’s the sign of a great athlete and a great leader. He has a willingness to listen, and he’s shown that so far. He’s been another great guy to watch along with Steve Nash and Grant Hill, in terms of the way he conducts himself and gets himself ready for games.

On the court, the team didn’t get off to the best of starts once he joined, but we never panicked and understood we were going to be changing a lot. For the past three years, this team has been playing full speed while Shaq has been used to everything running through him. Both of those were about to change as this offense goes through the point guards. We knew it was going to take some adjusting but are really happy with a lot of the things we’ve been able to do. We haven’t had a lot of breaks and have seen opponents hit some tough shots, but we’ve never dropped our heads.

The Spurs game on Sunday was big as we definitely didn’t want to drop three games in a row. There’s a lot going on right now not only with playoff positioning, but also getting momentum back on our side. We know the importance in building off that win for the rest of this homestand but no matter what happens, this team is not going to hang its head.

Now I’m getting ready to get back with the Thunderbirds where the focus is again on keeping in shape. I need to stay ready both mentally and physically, and Albuquerque helps with that. We’ve got a lot of veteran guys here, and because of that we don’t run practices as long as some other NBA teams. That’s why it’s important I take advantage of these trips and stay on top of my game. I’ve been working a lot lately with our strength-and-conditioning coach Erik Phillips and see that as a way of taking the next step.

Again, I definitely want to thank everybody for the comments and all the great things I’ve read. People have really been encouraging and I really pay attention to all the things fans have said. Keep reading and I’ll check back in soon.
]]>Thu, 13 Mar 08 16:24:00 UTReturning to Phoenixhttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_12190703.aspx
Alando Tucker used his time to study and practice the game while in Albuquerque.
(NBAE Photos)

At the beginning of the season, Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin told me this was an option for the team, and they were probably going to take advantage of that. DJ Strawberry and I knew coming in with all the great players and All-Stars here we weren’t going to be getting a ton of playing time, so it never came across as being a demotion and they reminded us of that. They wanted to ensure we stay in shape because coming down the stretch of the regular season, it would be nice for the coaching staff to be more familiar with what we can do and see how they can use us.

Kerr and Assistant General Manager Vinny Del Negro let me know exactly when I was being sent a few weeks ago. Again, because it was pretty much scheduled, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. Heading to Albuquerque, I wanted to work on my mechanics like I always do, but it was also important to stay in game shape and to make game decisions you can’t make during practice or by watching the team play. That’s what makes the D-League such a great option, it allows a guy like me to continue playing and continue learning.

My coach with the Thunderbirds was Jeff Ruland. He definitely had more of a military-based style than Suns Head Coach Mike D'Antoni, but I think in his position he kind of has to. He’s working with guys trying to get to the NBA level, and you need to shape them so they’re ready for the professional level. The important thing was the fact he understands the game, and I respected his knowledge of the game. He knows both ends of the floor and exactly what everybody at every position should be doing.

I roomed with Darvin Ham who spent some time in his career with both the Bucks and Pacers. He’s also a guy who won a championship ring in Detroit, so I definitely picked his brain as much as possible. Darvin was never drafted, so he took a road in which he had to work very hard and had to constantly keep a strong mindset. He got himself signed and played a lot of important minutes with some important teams. He’s really a great guy and helped me a lot while I was down there. Darvin and I watched all the Suns games and talked about a lot of different things. Darvin remembered the style of play as very hard to guard and said players knew coming into a contest against the Suns they were in for a long night. They force you to have an offensive mindset regardless of how talented you are on the defensive end of the court.

As a whole, I gained a lot of respect for the D-League through the experience and especially the guys that are playing there. Those guys – including the coaches – work hard and earn everything they get. Sometimes they bus 10 hours just to get from one city to another, so it’s not like they live a high-profile life but they continue to work hard. It helped a lot being in Albuquerque in terms of getting back into a rhythm and gaining some confidence. Getting the D-League Performer of the Week Award was very cool but most important to me was getting back into game shape as a whole.

DJ has joined the team now and my only advice to him is to keep working. Darvin and I spent a lot of time either watching games or going to the gym, so I let DJ know before he left to just stay focused and improve what he feels he can to help this team.
]]>Wed, 19 Dec 07 18:33:00 UTSeason is Flying By for Tuckerhttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_11150701.aspx
Alando Tucker is learning from some of the best in his rookie year on the Suns.
(NBAE Photos)

I love it though. The last road trip we had, going four games in five days, it was nice and I got to visit some arenas for the first time.

I’m really just soaking everything up and taking in everything the guys around me are doing. Especially on the road trip, I made sure to study how guys go about their day-to-day business. Everything - before, during and after the game, especially on nights where we have back-to-back contests. It’s all about getting to learn.

I do have to explain to people that it’s okay not to be thrown right into the mix and that this is an experience which is better for me in the long run. Not everyone can say they came into the league to play for a championship-caliber team. I understand the goal of this team isn’t to qualify for the playoffs or reach the Western Conference Finals - it’s to win an NBA Championship. It is a privilege to be with a team you know is going to be successful and its great playing with these players and working with Mike D'Antoni and the coaching staff. I didn’t come to this team because they needed a guy to score points and I definitely understand that. Once I explain that to people, they seem to understand too.

When Kobe Bryant first came into the league he also came to a team fighting for a championship. He didn’t get the opportunity to play early but you can see now how much he learned from that experience. He used that time as a young player to learn from the veterans on his team and it’s paid off.

I’m definitely taking my time and not rushing into anything as far as getting on the court. I’m learning and that’s something which is going to be important for me. I’ve got guys like Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Raja Bell around me and I’m going to take advantage of that. They’ve been doing this for years now and I just want to soak up as much as possible so I can execute when my name is called. I’ve also been watching Amaré Stoudemire a lot and it’s been great seeing him get back to the court and throw down some monster jams.

Last night was the Celebrity Waiters event for me and the guys and that was big for me. This team gets a lot of support from this city and last night was a reminder of that. I had a smile on my face the whole night and it was great interacting with people that were happy to see us. Talking with fans and knowing it’s going to a good cause like Suns Nite Hoops - that’s what I’m all about. It was great traveling to China with Steve Nash for his charity game over the summer and last night was another great chance to help give to those less fortunate.

It’s time for me to hit the court for warm-ups and get ready for a late contest against the Chicago Bulls. Thanks again for all the great comments and I’ll be sure to check back in again soon.

]]>Fri, 16 Nov 07 04:41:00 UTCamp is Over Already?!http://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_10080701.aspx
The Suns rookies enjoy a night of hazing.
(Dan Banks/Suns Photos)

You probably saw the video on Suns.com of DJ Strawberry, Doug Thomas and I singing for the rest of the guys. I've gotten so many calls from people who have watched it and seen the pictures up on the website. People will call and the first thing they'll say is, "I'm so pretty," so I'll know they've seen it.

We had heard the vets were going to ask us to sing, so we went to the hotel after practice and before dinner to rehearse what we'd be doing. But that sort of backfired on us. I don't think Steve Nash and the coaches appreciated us being so prepared, which is why they then made us run around the restaurant, dancing pretty and barking like dogs. They said we shouldn't have gotten rehearsal time, so they switched it up on us.

It was a lot of fun, though. We actually enjoyed it and it helped remove some of those rookie jitters.

The scrimmage game went really well on Saturday night. It was the first time I was able to perform in front of a crowd with my new teammates and it meant a lot to me. It was exciting, the fans really made it with their enthusiasm. Players really ride that enthusiasm and it was great having the fans behind us and being able to ride that momentum.

Getting to put on that jersey and knowing I was going out there to play a "competitive" game meant everything to me. It's always been my dream to play in the NBA. I come from a small town, so for me to be able to represent Lockport, Ill. meant a lot. I've got a lot of people behind me and know when I wear that Suns jersey I'm not only representing my team but a lot of people who care for me. Knowing that the jersey I'm wearing is for a team that has a lot of camaraderie and respect for one another just made the feeling that much better.

It was a pretty good game overall. We were getting up and down the floor. I was able to go out there and provide a spark, and tried not to do more than the coaches had asked of me.

There were some highlights in the game. Sean Marks had a big block, Doug Thomas had an impressive dunk, Steve Nash hit a couple threes, Shawn Marion did a great job getting up and down the court, Grant Hill played extremely well... those are a few of the things I noticed while watching. This team is definitely going to keep fans on their feet this upcoming season.

The biggest thing that surprised me was how fast training camp went. It seems like yesterday I was coming in for my first day and wondering how fast I would begin picking things up. But the coaches and my teammates have helped make things so easy and that's important. I think I made some accomplishments this past week in terms of building relationships and working on my game, and I think that's going to go a long way this season.

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]]>Mon, 08 Oct 07 17:51:00 UTLet's Get it Startedhttp://suns.marqui.com/blog/suns01_10020701.aspxToday was my first official day on the job. Everybody's been asking me how it feels to be a member of the Phoenix Suns and now I can actually tell them. It feels really, really good.

Suns.com's newest blogger, Alando Tucker, poses for a few photos on Media Day.
(Barry Gossage/NBAE Photos)

We had our media day this afternoon before taking a bus down to Tucson, and I got a chance to put on my new Suns jersey for some pictures. It fits great, nice and snug. Actually, this is the first time that I've ever had a name on my back. As a kid, you always look forward to having your name on a jersey, but when I got to Wisconsin, they didn't do that. They only had numbers. So that was really exciting today, and it’s definitely an honor to wear a Suns jersey.

Everything's moved so fast the last few months, I haven't really had time to sit back and reflect on all that's happened. Right after the draft, it was off to Las Vegas for summer league, which was fun. Being able to play with DJ and Marcus Banks, two guys that I knew were going to be on the team this year, was cool. Banks, he's a character, man. He's one of those guys who's always cracking jokes.

I then went to Vancouver for Steve Nash’s charity game. It was exciting because it was the first time I actually stepped on the court with him, and he was throwing me lob passes for dunks. It was amazing. I also got to meet Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa, and see what kind of people they are. They were all really welcoming, which helped me feel more comfortable. And seeing their games up close and personal was also reassuring for me that I’m in the right place.

I also traveled with Steve and LB to Beijing a couple weeks ago for the Nash-Yao Ming charity game, which was a lot of fun. I’ve always wanted to travel the world, and China is one of the places I’ve wanted to go. Being able to experience that culture and go to the Forbidden City was incredible. Those are some mental pictures that I’ll carry with me forever.

Beijing is a very modernized city. There are a lot of people there. Traffic is heavy. It looked a lot like L.A. actually. But it felt good to be able to go and help raise money for children there. The events raised $2.5 million, which will go to build something like 70 new schools. I love to give back to the community, so being a part of that was really special.

We have our first practice of camp tomorrow morning. I don’t know exactly what to expect, but some of the veterans have been telling me it’s going to go smooth. Coach D’Antoni is a good guy. He doesn’t want to make camp too intense, to the point where we’re hurting ourselves, but at the same time I’m sure we’ll work on a lot. I just want to try and gain as much as I can, as far as understanding the offense and defense, and the whole style. That’s my mindset going into camp. Wish me luck.

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